People

archives

Vanja Smiljanić: Fictional Archive as Ministry of Ideology

Mentor: Alena Alexandrova

Independent reviewer: Mark Kremer

Arnhem, June 2012

ABSTRACT

This thesis investigates a notion of an archive as a socio -political tool for manipulation. It focus is specifically on an artificial archive of a UFO religious movement called Cosmic People. With wild diversity of documents presented in this archive, a conceptu al and technological aspects of visual phenomenology are put into the question. Cosmic People as paradigm of a new religious phenomena, are used as a measuring device for religious and social changes in contemporary society. With methodology they apply for transmission of their belief, this thesis reflects upon a special relationship between mimicry, identification and demolition, in creation of ideologies.